The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-29
IN THE HANDS OF THE K. OIL
The Street-Car Drivers Surrender the
Management of Their Strike.
The Express Wagon Competition Takes Some
Patronage from the Street-Car Company
More Drivers Return to Work.

Apparently Colonel Johnson is having less
trouble account of the strike than the execu-
tive board of Knights of Labor in trying to get
the men who are members of the order to quit
work. The prominent feature of the difficulty
now is in the effort to persuade these men thatlt
is their duty to support the strike. 1t was ex-
pected that the last imperative notice, which
was read to the men yesterday noon, wouio
bring many of them out, but the companys ON
GERS say that only two or three responded.
Knights remaining at work are preparing
3 statement of their case to be sent to the ma
tional executive board. They claim that 1t Is
already signed by forty-one men employed In
various capacities by the company. II this Is
true little calculation shows how far the
knights were originally concerned in the strike.
The executive board said that the order for the
men to quit work, issued on Thursday, applied
to ffty-nine men, both those who were in and out
of the strike. II the forty represent all the
Knights who refused to obey the order, only
eighteen are out. But the interest of the order
in the matter has been extended by initiating.
this week, most of the strikers who were not
Knights. It is there that the difference between
the executive board and the knights at work
occurs. The latter assert that on this accouns,
principally, the strike is not and cannot Dc
legalized.
The affair is solely in charge of the executive
DOarQ, the strikers having taken d oach Zoo"
What assistance they give is in trying to per
suade the drivers and other employees to JOIN
them. The officials of the knights OF Labor
speak highly of the behavior of the strikers 1t
is feared though, that Colonel johnson is endeav-
oring to invite violence, by which 1t Is hoped
public opinion will be turned against the strik-
But the men say that they contemplate
nothing of the kind. They propose to use other
means in harassug the company, which they
think are fully effective. One of these me tn
DDS no doubt will, for time. have considerable
force in reducing the receipts of the company.
1t is the system of express wagons that the
strikers have established The wagons did
good business yesterday, principally in the
factory districts from which they came In the
evening heavily loaded with workngmen.
Drivers were not SO much annoyed as on FRI
day by the cry of 'scab" In the section OF the
city where this epithet was frequently heard day
before yesterday drivers were very rarely
troubled in that way. The company had all
lines in operation with the full complement OF
cars on Massachusetts avenue. Illinois
street and what is called the Belt route
Nine on Pennsylvania
street, two on East Washington street and
enough on South Meridian and West Washing
ton, the entire length, to answer all the de-
mands of travel. It is proposed to continue the
regular service and schedule time to-day. Five
of the strikers, the companys officers say, re-
turned to work yesterday.